Musk's millions for Trump make him biggest US political donor

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president’s extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject. No decisions have been made, the people said, and it is possible Biden opts to do nothing at all. Pardons are historically afforded to those accused of specific crimes – and usually those who have already been convicted of an offense — but Biden’s team is considering issuing them for those who have not even been investigated, let alone charged. They fear that Trump and his allies, who have boasted of enemies lists and exacting “retribution,” could launch investigations that would be reputationally and financially costly for their targets even if they don’t result in prosecutions. While the president’s pardon power is absolute, Biden’s use in this fashion would mark a significant expansion of how they are deployed, and some Biden aides fear it could lay the groundwork for an even more drastic usage by Trump. They also worry that issuing pardons would feed into claims by Trump and his allies that the individuals committed acts that necessitated immunity. Recipients could include infectious-disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was instrumental in combating the coronavirus pandemic and who has become a pariah to conservatives angry about mask mandates and vaccines. Others include witnesses in Trump’s criminal or civil trials and Biden administration officials who have drawn the ire of the incoming president and his allies. Some fearful former officials have reached out to the Biden White House preemptively seeking some sort of protection from the future Trump administration, one of the people said. It follows Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter — not just for his convictions on federal gun and tax violations, but for any potential federal offense committed over an 11-year period, as the president feared that Trump allies would seek to prosecute his son for other offenses. That could serve as a model for other pardons Biden might issue to those who could find themselves in legal jeopardy under Trump. Biden is not the first to consider such pardons — Trump aides considered them for him and his supporters involved in his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that culminated in a violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But he could be the first to issue them since Trump’s pardons never materialized before he left office nearly four years ago. Gerald Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” in 1974 to his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. He believed a potential trial would “cause prolonged and divisive debate over the propriety of exposing to further punishment and degradation a man who has already paid the unprecedented penalty of relinquishing the highest elective office of the United States," as written in the pardon proclamation. Politico was first to report that Biden was studying the use of preemptive pardons. On the campaign trail, Trump made no secret of his desire to seek revenge on those who prosecuted him or crossed him. Trump has talked about “enemies from within" and circulated social media posts that call for the jailing of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. He also zeroed in on former Rep. Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris and helped investigate Jan. 6, and he promoted a social media post that suggested he wanted military tribunals for supposed treason. Kash Patel, whom Trump has announced as his nominee to be director of the FBI, has listed dozens of former government officials he wanted to “come after.” Richard Painter, a Trump critic who served as the top White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said he was reluctantly in support of having Biden issue sweeping pardons to people who could be targeted by Trump's administration. He said he hoped that would “clean the slate” for the incoming president and encourage him to focus on governing, not on punishing his political allies. “It’s not an ideal situation at all,” Painter said. “We have a whole lot of bad options confronting us at this point.” While the Supreme Court this year ruled that the president enjoys broad immunity from prosecution for what could be considered official acts, his aides and allies enjoy no such shield. Some fear that Trump could use the promise of a blanket pardon to encourage his allies to take actions they might otherwise resist for fear of running afoul of the law. “There could be blatant illegal conduct over the next four years, and he can go out and pardon his people before he leaves office,” Painter said. "But if he’s going to do that, he’s going to do that anyway regardless of what Biden does." More conventional pardons from Biden, such as those for sentencing disparities for people convicted of federal crimes, are expected before the end of the year, the White House said.

MI5 forced to ‘pare back’ on counter-terrorism work due to hostile states, says agency chiefGambles pay off for Lions against Packers

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that the efforts of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto made the 26th Constitutional Amendment possible, and constitutional courts were established under it. The Sindh province took the initiative in establishing these courts. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari aims to provide immediate justice to the people and quick solutions to their problems. We have seen in the past that there were cases where those accused of murder were sentenced to death. However, after an appeal, these individuals were acquitted, even though they had already been sentenced to death. We believe that the constitutional courts have provided significant relief to the people. Talking to the media outside the NAB court in Karachi, Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said that President Asif Ali Zardari spent 12 years in jail without being convicted. He added that various political parties have also faced the courts, and those who create such cases are now facing cases themselves. In response to a question, he said that there should be trust in the courts. The courts should not be intimidated or made controversial, and efforts should always be made to achieve justice based on truth and fairness. Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that yesterday Imran Khan left the court, demonstrating an authoritarian mentality. The courts cannot be bent in this way. Since 2015, we have been facing cases and appearing in court for 9 years. We have also appeared in court under pressure, when our party and we were under pressure, and we have faced cases even while sitting in jail. He said that Imran Khan’s mentality is that the establishment, judiciary, and Election Commission should all follow his orders. When the Election Commission did not comply with his demands, he made the most controversial appointment of Sikandar Sultan Raja. PTI’s mentality is authoritarian. Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Governor KP Faisal Karim Kundi organized an APC regarding public order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in which 16 parties, besides PTI, participated. He added that it was PTI’s responsibility to bring all political parties together. He said that the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is worsening, with the police not seen on the streets after dark. The police in KP have been demoralized, and the situation there is no longer under the control of the government. The PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is failing, and PTI’s priority is to spread anarchy, chaos, and confrontation with the institutions in the country. Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that this is the third term of the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is shameful that members there cannot go to their constituencies. The police, which were supposed to maintain public order, were instead asked to provide security for the long march and weapons, so they could attack the federation. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PTI has bowed its knees before terrorists. In response to another question, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Imran Khan also talked about civil disobedience during the sit-in. Imran Khan was the first to burn his bill, but when his electricity was cut off for non-payment, he was the first to submit the bill. Imran Khan had said that money should not be sent abroad through official channels, but through Hawala Hundi. His aim is to set fire to everything in the country. Now is the time for him to come forward with positive thinking and admit that he has tried to mislead the people. PTI has nothing to offer the youth except chaos. Negativity is never sustainable. In response to another question, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, Chief Minister of Sindh, and the Sindh government have taken a clear stand on the issue of water. Water matters should be governed by the 1992 agreement, and nothing else. In response to another question, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the APS tragedy occurred during the PTI government, and the Bannu jail was attacked. However, PTI’s priority is focused on how to attack the federation. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had said in her last speech that the Pakistani flag would be hoisted in Swat. During the operation, 2.8 million people were displaced, and the PPP worked to provide them with relief. He said that the entire PTI is working on the agenda of Israel and international lobbyists. The people of KP are innocent, but PTI is leading them down the wrong path. PTI’s priority is not the people of KP, but the interests of one person.

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump offered a public show of support Friday for Pete Hegseth, his choice to lead the Defense Department, whose confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat roles. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and privately reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump's Pentagon. "Pete Hegseth is doing very well," Trump posted on his social media site. "He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense." The president added that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!" The nomination battle is emerging not only as a debate about the best person to lead the Pentagon, but an inflection point for a MAGA movement that appears to be relishing a public fight over its hard-line push for a more masculine military and an end to the "woke-ism" of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Military leaders are rattled by a list of “woke” senior officers that a conservative group urged Hegseth to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The list compiled by the American Accountability Foundation includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers. It has had a chilling effect on the Pentagon’s often frank discussions as leaders try to figure out how to address the potential firings and diversity issues under Trump. Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they made either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases for retweeting posts that promote diversity. Tom Jones, a former aide to Republican senators who leads the foundation, said Friday those on the list are “pretty egregious” advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, policies, which he called problematic. “The nominee has been pretty clear that that has no place in the military,” Jones said of Hegseth. Hegseth embraced Trump’s effort to end programs that promote diversity in the ranks and fire those who reflect those values. Other Trump picks, like Kash Patel for FBI director, have suggested targeting those in government who are not aligned with Trump. Trump's allies forcefully rallied around Hegseth — the Heritage Foundation's political arm promised to spend $1 million to shore up his nomination — as he vows to stay in the fight, as long as the president-elect wants him to. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vice-President-elect JD Vance said as he toured post-hurricane North Carolina. He said he spoke with GOP senators and believes Hegseth will be confirmed. The effort became a test of Trump's clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Two of Trump's other choices stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., his first choice for attorney general, and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump's first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. Thanking the president-elect for the support, Hegseth posted on social media, "Like you, we will never back down." Hegseth faces resistance from senators as reports emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. He promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops came under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women "straight up" should not serve in combat. He picked up one important endorsement from Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, whose support was seen as a potentially powerful counterweight to the cooler reception Hegseth received from Sen. Joni Ernst, a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after meeting with Hegseth this week. On Friday, Ernst posted on X that she would meet with him again next week. “At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing,” she wrote. On Friday, Trump put out the statement in response to coverage saying he lost faith in Hegseth, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The president-elect and his team were pleased to see Hegseth putting up a fight and his performance this week reiterates why he was chosen, the person said. They believe he can still be confirmed. If Hegseth goes down, Trump's team believes the defeat would empower others to spread what they cast as "vicious lies" against every candidate Trump chooses. Still, Trump's transition team is looking at potential replacements, including former presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis plans to attend the Dec. 14 Army-Navy football game with Trump, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor's plans who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. DeSantis and Trump spoke about the defense secretary post Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff deputies in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive. DeSantis is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump's orbit.Injuries are starting to take their toll on on fantasy rosters. Managers are being forced to hit the waiver wire and explore the depths of their bench in order to put together a lineup this week. Even if your team is missing some starters, a strong set of rankings will set you up for success on the fantasy gridiron. As you prepare for the 13th full Sunday of NFL football, we've got you covered with everything you need to set your fantasy football lineups. We have everything from positional rankings to sleepers and busts. Be sure to check back in often as our rankings will be updated regularly until kickoff on Sunday. WEEK 13 FANTASY ROSTER MANAGEMENT ADVICE Stock Watch | Start 'Em, Sit 'Em | Sleepers | Busts | Usage Report | Flex Finder | Weather Click section headers for additional positional analysis Week 13 Fantasy QB Rankings These rankings are for four-point passing TD leagues, and players who have already played are in italics. RANK PLAYER NAME TEAM OPPONENT CHANGE 1 Josh Allen BUF vs SF 2 Jalen Hurts PHI at BAL 3 Joe Burrow CIN vs PIT 4 Lamar Jackson BAL vs PHI 5 Justin Herbert LAC at ATL 6 Baker Mayfield TB at CAR 7 Jayden Daniels WAS vs TEN 8 Patrick Mahomes II KC vs LV 9 Matthew Stafford LAR at NO 10 Bo Nix DEN vs CLE 11 Tua Tagovailoa MIA at GB 12 Kyler Murray ARI at MIN 13 Brock Purdy SF at BUF N/R 14 C.J. Stroud HOU at JAC Down 1 15 Anthony Richardson IND at NE Down 1 16 Jordan Love GB vs MIA Down 1 17 Jared Goff DET vs CHI Down 1 18 Russell Wilson PIT at CIN Down 1 19 Drake Maye NE vs IND Down 1 20 Bryce Young CAR vs TB Down 1 21 Geno Smith SEA at NYJ Down 1 22 Sam Darnold MIN vs ARI Down 1 23 Kirk Cousins ATL vs LAC Down 1 24 Caleb Williams CHI at DET Down 1 25 Will Levis TEN at WAS Down 1 26 Derek Carr NO vs LAR Down 1 27 Jameis Winston CLE at DEN Down 1 28 Aaron Rodgers NYJ vs SEA Down 1 29 Cooper Rush DAL vs NYG Down 1 30 Aidan O'Connell LV at KC Down 1 31 Drew Lock NYG at DAL Down 1 32 Mac Jones JAC vs HOU Down 1 Week 13 Fantasy RB Rankings (PPR) Italicized players have already played this week. RANK PLAYER NAME TEAM OPPONENT CHANGE 1 Joe Mixon HOU at JAC 2 Saquon Barkley PHI at BAL 3 Josh Jacobs GB vs MIA Up 1 4 De'Von Achane MIA at GB Up 3 5 Bijan Robinson ATL vs LAC 6 Kyren Williams LAR at NO 7 Jahmyr Gibbs DET vs CHI Up 3 8 Alvin Kamara NO vs LAR Up 4 9 Jonathan Taylor IND at NE Down 1 10 Derrick Henry BAL vs PHI Up 3 11 James Cook BUF vs SF Up 3 12 Christian McCaffrey SF at BUF Down 1 13 Kenneth Walker Jr. SEA at NYJ Down 10 14 Breece Hall NYJ vs SEA Down 5 15 Tony Pollard TEN at WAS 16 David Montgomery DET vs CHI 17 Bucky Irving TB at CAR Up 1 18 Aaron Jones MIN vs ARI Up 1 19 Chuba Hubbard CAR vs TB Up 2 20 Tyrone Tracy Jr. NYG at DAL Down 3 21 Chase Brown CIN vs PIT Up 1 22 Rico Dowdle DAL vs NYG Up 2 23 Rhamondre Stevenson NE vs IND 24 Nick Chubb CLE at DEN Up 1 25 Isiah Pacheco KC vs LV N/R 26 James Conner ARI at MIN 27 D'Andre Swift CHI at DET 28 Najee Harris PIT at CIN Up 2 29 Rachaad White TB at CAR Up 2 30 Jaylen Warren PIT at CIN Up 2 31 Brian Robinson Jr. WAS vs TEN Down 3 32 Gus Edwards LAC at ATL Up 5 33 Kareem Hunt KC vs LV Down 13 34 Travis Etienne Jr. JAC vs HOU Down 1 35 Javonte Williams DEN vs CLE Down 1 36 Tank Bigsby JAC vs HOU Down 1 37 Tyler Allgeier ATL vs LAC Down 1 38 Roschon Johnson CHI at DET 39 Jeremy McNichols WAS vs TEN Up 1 40 Braelon Allen NYJ vs SEA Down 1 41 Ameer Abdullah LV at KC Down 1 42 Hassan Haskins LAC at ATL N/R 43 Cam Akers MIN vs ARI Down 1 44 Trey Benson ARI at MIN Down 1 45 Antonio Gibson NE vs IND Down 1 46 Justice Hill BAL vs PHI N/R 47 Zach Charbonnet SEA at NYJ Down 2 48 Jerome Ford CLE at DEN Down 2 49 Blake Corum LAR at NO Down 2 50 Audric Estime DEN vs CLE Down 2 51 Ray Davis BUF vs SF Down 2 52 Devin Singletary NYG at DAL Down 2 53 Kenneth Gainwell PHI at BAL Down 2 54 Jonathon Brooks CAR vs TB Down 2 55 Kimani Vidal LAC at ATL N/R 56 D'Ernest Johnson JAC vs HOU Down 1 57 Emanuel Wilson GB vs MIA Down 1 58 Khalil Herbert CIN vs PIT Down 1 59 Emari Demercado ARI at MIN Down 1 60 Jaleel McLaughlin DEN vs CLE Down 1 61 Jaylen Wright MIA at GB Down 1 62 Sean Tucker TB at CAR Down 1 63 Ty Johnson BUF vs SF Down 1 64 Jordan Mason SF at BUF Down 1 65 Chris Rodriguez Jr. WAS vs TEN N/R 66 Dylan Laube LV at KC Down 2 67 Samaje Perine KC vs LV Down 2 68 Cordarrelle Patterson PIT at CIN Down 2 69 Trey Sermon IND at NE Down 2 70 Trayveon Williams CIN vs PIT Down 2 71 Raheem Mostert MIA at GB Down 2 72 Ezekiel Elliott DAL vs NYG Down 2 73 Dameon Pierce HOU at JAC Down 2 74 Ty Chandler MIN vs ARI Down 2 75 Pierre Strong Jr. CLE at DEN Down 2 76 Hunter Leupke DAL vs NYG Down 2 Week 13 Fantasy WR Rankings (PPR) Italicized players have already played this week. RANK PLAYER NAME TEAM OPPONENT CHANGE 1 A.J. Brown PHI at BAL 2 Nico Collins HOU at JAC 3 Ja'Marr Chase CIN vs PIT 4 Justin Jefferson MIN vs ARI 5 Puka Nacua LAR at NO 6 Mike Evans TB at CAR 7 CeeDee Lamb DAL vs NYG 8 Amon-Ra St. Brown DET vs CHI 9 Cooper Kupp LAR at NO 10 Calvin Ridley TEN at WAS 11 Tyreek Hill MIA at GB 12 George Pickens PIT at CIN 13 Courtland Sutton DEN vs CLE 14 Drake London ATL vs LAC 15 Ladd McConkey LAC at ATL 16 Garrett Wilson NYJ vs SEA 17 Terry McLaurin WAS vs TEN 18 Brian Thomas Jr. JAC vs HOU 19 Jaxon Smith-Njigba SEA at NYJ 20 Tee Higgins CIN vs PIT 21 Jaylen Waddle MIA at GB 22 DK Metcalf SEA at NYJ 23 Jayden Reed GB vs MIA 24 Malik Nabers NYG at DAL 25 Zay Flowers BAL vs PHI Up 1 26 Khalil Shakir BUF vs SF Up 1 27 DJ Moore CHI at DET Up 1 28 DeAndre Hopkins KC vs LV Up 1 29 Jauan Jennings SF at BUF Up 1 30 Tank Dell HOU at JAC Up 1 31 Marvin Harrison Jr. ARI at MIN Up 1 32 Michael Pittman Jr. IND at NE N/R 33 Jordan Addison MIN vs ARI 34 Xavier Legette CAR vs TB 35 Keenan Allen CHI at DET 36 Jakobi Meyers LV at KC 37 Darnell Mooney ATL vs LAC Up 3 38 Amari Cooper BUF vs SF Doown 1 39 Nick Westbrook-Ikhine TEN at WAS Down 1 40 Devaughn Vele DEN vs CLE Down 1 41 DeMario Douglas NE vs IND 42 Quentin Johnston LAC at ATL Down 7 43 Jerry Jeudy CLE at DEN Down 1 44 Jameson Williams DET vs CHI Down 1 45 Deebo Samuel Sr. SF at BUF Down 1 46 Marquez Valdes-Scantling NO vs LAR 47 Christian Watson GB vs MIA Down 1 48 Davante Adams NYJ vs SEA Down 1 49 Xavier Worthy KC vs LV Down 1 50 Adam Thielen CAR vs TB Down 1 51 Wan'Dale Robinson NYG at DAL Down 1 52 Rome Odunze CHI at DET Down 1 53 Kendrick Bourne NE vs IND Down 1 54 Dontayvion Wicks GB vs MIA Down 1 55 Alec Pierce IND at NE Down 1 56 Rashod Bateman BAL vs PHI Down 1 57 Jalen Tolbert DAL vs NYG Down 1 58 Jalen McMillan TB at CAR Down 1 59 Noah Brown WAS vs TEN Down 1 60 David Moore CAR vs TB Down 1 61 Jalen Nailor MIN vs ARI Down 1 62 Michael Wilson ARI at MIN Down 1 63 Curtis Samuel BUF vs SF Down 1 64 Joshua Palmer LAC at ATL Down 1 65 Elijah Moore CLE at DEN Down 1 66 John Metchie HOU at JAC Down 1 67 Calvin Austin PIT at CIN Down 1 68 Kayshon Boutte NE vs IND Down 1 69 Lil'Jordan Humphrey DEN vs CLE Down 1 70 Tyler Lockett SEA at NYJ Down 1 71 Ray-Ray McCloud ATL vs LAC Down 1 72 Demarcus Robinson LAR at NO Down 1 73 Mike Williams PIT at CIN Down 1 74 Tyler Boyd TEN at WAS Down 1 75 KaVonte Turpin DAL vs NYG Down 1 76 Sterling Shepard TB at CAR Down 1 77 Darius Slayton NYG at DAL Down 1 78 Ricky Pearsall SF at BUF Down 1 79 Adonai Mitchell IND at NE Down 1 80 DJ Turner LV at KC Down 1 81 Parker Washington JAC vs HOU Down 1 82 Mack Hollins BUF vs SF Down 1 83 Olamide Zaccheaus WAS vs TEN Down 1 84 Marvin Mims Jr. DEN vs CLE Down 1 85 Tre Tucker LV at KC Down 1 86 Troy Franklin DEN vs CLE Down 1 87 Juju Smith-Schuster KC vs LV Down 1 88 Jahan Dotson PHI at BAL Down 1 89 Devin Duvernay JAC vs HOU Down 1 90 Justin Watson KC vs LV Down 1 91 Andrei Iosivas CIN vs PIT Down 1 92 Tutu Atwell LAR at NO Down 1 93 Zay Jones ARI at MIN Down 1 94 Jermaine Burton CIN vs PIT Down 1 95 Mason Tipton NO vs LAR Down 1 96 Malik Washington MIA at GB Down 1 97 Diontae Johnson BAL vs PHI Down 1 98 Malachi Corley NYJ vs SEA Down 1 Week 13 Fantasy Rankings TE (PPR) Italicized players have already played this week. RANK PLAYER NAME TEAM OPPONENT CHANGE 1 Travis Kelce KC vs LV 2 Brock Bowers LV at KC 3 Trey McBride ARI at MIN 4 George Kittle SF at BUF 5 Cade Otton TB at CAR 6 Dallas Goedert PHI at BAL 7 T.J. Hockenson MIN vs ARI 8 Jonnu Smith MIA at GB 9 Evan Engram JAC vs HOU 10 Hunter Henry NE vs IND 11 Will Dissly LAC at ATL 12 Taysom Hill NO vs LAR 13 Pat Freiermuth PIT at CIN 14 David Njoku CLE at DEN 15 Kyle Pitts ATL vs LAC 16 Zach Ertz WAS vs TEN 17 Dawson Knox BUF vs SF 18 Dalton Schultz HOU at JAC 19 Sam LaPorta DET vs CHI 20 Tucker Kraft GB vs MIA 21 Mark Andrews BAL vs PHI 22 Luke Schoonmaker DAL vs NYG 23 Noah Fant SEA at NYJ N/R 24 Cole Kmet CHI at DET Down 1 25 Noah Gray KC vs LV Down 1 26 Juwan Johnson NO vs LAR Down 1 27 Mike Gesicki CIN vs PIT Down 1 28 Theo Johnson NYG at DAL Down 1 29 Tyler Conklin NYJ vs SEA Down 1 30 Austin Hooper NE vs IND Down 1 31 Adam Trautman DEN vs CLE Down 1 32 Chigoziem Okonkwo TEN at WAS Down 1 33 Isaiah Likely BAL vs PHI Down 1 34 Darnell Washington PIT at CIN Down 1 35 Davis Allen LAR at NO Down 1 36 Michael Mayer LV at KC Down 1 37 Foster Moreau NO vs LAR Down 1 38 Colby Parkinson LAR at NO Down 1 39 Tanner Hudson CIN vs PIT Down 1 40 Mo Alie-Cox IND at NE Down 1 41 Lucas Krull DEN vs CLE Down 1 42 Grant Calcaterra PHI at BAL Down 1 43 Brenton Strange JAC vs HOU Down 1 44 Josh Oliver MIN vs ARI Down 1 45 Kylen Granson IND at NE Down 1 46 Ben Sinnott WAS vs TEN Down 1 47 Elijah Higgins ARI at MIN Down 1 48 Gerald Everett CHI at DET Down 1 Week 13 Fantasy Defense Rankings Italicized teams have already played this week. RANK TEAM OPPONENT CHANGE 1 Denver Broncos vs CLE 2 Kansas City Chiefs vs LV 3 Washington Commanders vs TEN 4 Los Angeles Chargers at ATL 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at CAR 6 Houston Texans at JAC 7 Seattle Seahawks at NYJ Up 2 8 Buffalo Bills vs SF 9 Cleveland Browns at DEN Down 2 10 Minnesota Vikings vs ARI Up 3 11 Detroit Lions vs CHI 12 Pittsburgh Steelers at CIN 13 Green Bay Packers vs MIA Up 9 14 Arizona Cardinals at MIN Down 4 15 Philadelphia Eagles at BAL 16 Los Angeles Rams at NO 17 New York Jets vs SEA 18 Miami Dolphins at GB Down 4 19 Tennessee Titans at WAS Up 6 20 Indianapolis Colts at NE Down 2 21 Dallas Cowboys vs NYG 22 Chicago Bears at DET Up 6 23 New York Giants at DAL Down 4 24 San Francisco 49ers at BUF 25 Baltimore Ravens vs PHI Up 1 26 New England Patriots vs IND Down 6 27 New Orleans Saints vs LAR Down 4 28 Las Vegas Raiders at KC Down 1 29 Atlanta Falcons vs LAC 30 Cincinnati Bengals vs PIT 31 Jacksonville Jaguars vs HOU 32 Carolina Panthers vs TB Week 13 Fantasy Kicker Rankings Italicized teams have already played this week. RANK PLAYER TEAM OPPONENT CHANGE 1 Chris Boswell PIT at CIN 2 Cameron Dicker LAC at ATL 3 Ka'imi Fairbairn HOU at JAC 4 Jake Bates DET vs CHI 5 Chase McLaughlin TB at CAR 6 Brandon Aubrey DAL vs NYG 7 Younghoe Koo ATL vs LAC 8 Tyler Bass BUF vs SF 9 Joshua Karty LAR at NO 10 Justin Tucker BAL vs PHI 11 Jake Moody SF at BUF 12 Brandon McManus GB vs MIA 13 Jason Myers SEA at NYJ 14 Chad Ryland ARI at MIN 15 Jason Sanders MIA at GB 16 Jake Elliott PHI at BAL 17 Zane Gonzalez WAS vs TEN 18 Graham Gano NYG at DAL 19 Evan McPherson CIN vs PIT 20 Spencer Shrader KC vs LV 21 Matt Gay IND at NE 22 Wil Lutz DEN vs CLE 23 Daniel Carlson LV at KC 24 Cairo Santos CHI at DET 25 Blake Grupe NO vs LAR 26 Anders Carlson NYJ vs SEA 27 John Parker Romo MIN vs ARI 28 Dustin Hopkins CLE at DEN 29 Nick Folk TEN at WAS 30 Joey Slye NE vs IND 31 Cam Little JAC vs HOU 32 Eddy Pineiro CAR vs TBArkansas DE Landon Jackson carted off field and taken to hospital with neck injury

Tigers reportedly interested in seven-time All-Star

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Notre Dame forward Danny Nelson scored twice, Western Michigan’s Hampton Slukynsky made 25 saves and the defending champion United States beat Latvia 5-1 on Saturday in the world junior hockey championship. The United States improved to 2-0 in Group A play, while Latvia dropped to 1-1 a day after stunning Canada with a 3-2 victory in a shootout. Boston College’s Ryan Leonard, Denver’s Zeev Buium and Minnesota Duluth’s Max Plante also scored for the Americans. They will be back in action Sunday at Canadian Tire Centre against Finland, then close group play Tuesday night against Canada. Davids Livsics scored for Latvia. Linards Feldbergs stopped 36 shots after making 55 saves against Canada and stopping all eight attempts in the shootout. In the only other game of the day, Czechia beat Kazakhstan 14-2 at TD Place. Czechia and Sweden are both 2-0 in Group B. Matej Mastalirsky, Vojtech Hradec and Jakub Stancl had hat tricks, with Hradec and Stancl also each assisting on two goals. ___ AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports The Associated Press

AWS launches Quantum Embark, quantum computing stocks blastoffAshley Coleman has resigned as executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Center, which will "temporarily pause" some programs.Longtime Tesla investor Ross Gerber on why Musk’s ties to Trump might not boost the EV maker

New Delhi/Imphal, Dec 9 (IANS): The INDIA Bloc parties from Manipur on Monday held a sit-in protest in Delhi demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the violence-hit-state and resolve the 19-month-long ethnic hostilities at the earliest. The leaders of the 10-party INDIA bloc while addressing the gathering at Jantar Mantar in the national capital claimed that both the Centre and the state government failed to resolve the ethnic crisis even as the lives of the people were devastated due to the uninterrupted violence. The INDIA bloc leader also demanded to sack Chief Minister N Biren Singh for his “complete failure” to deal with the riots between Meitei and the Koki-Zo-Hmar community. Many opposition leaders, including Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, Congress' deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and CPI General Secretary D Raja among others participated in the protest. Ramesh said that Manipur has been inflicted with unprecedented turmoil, continuous curfew, internet ban, high price rise of all commodities, unavailability of medicines, continuous violence, highways blockade, rising extortion, all forms of violent threats and disturbances, complete lawlessness and chaos, complete violation of right to life and right to properties, loss of life, and complete disarray of hope for the youth and total obstruction to the smooth functioning of schools, colleges, universities, and professional institutions in Manipur. The INDIA Bloc, Manipur, resolves to press for the four demands to the President of India and the Prime Minister, he said in a post on the X.\ The demands include the Prime Minister visiting Manipur urgently for an immediate restoration of peace and normalcy in the state without affecting the territorial integrity of Manipur. “Chief Minister of Manipur should be immediately sacked for allowing Manipur to keep burning for the last 19 months. Further, until peace and normalcy are restored, the INDIA Bloc, Manipur will continue the democratic struggle to bring peace and normalcy to the state. We solemnly declare that we will work together hand in hand irrespective of caste, creed, community, and ethnicity to strengthen the bond of love, unity, and integrity in Manipur,” the Congress leader said. Manipur Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh, state CLP leader Okram Ibobi, K. Ranjit, Lokeshwar Singh, Surjakumar Singh, all Congress MLAs of the state, Manipur CPI (M) leader Kshetrimayum Shanta among others attended the protest. CPI leader D. Raja questioned the Central government’s commitment to national unity, highlighting the silence of PM Modi on the Manipur crisis. The 10-party INDIA bloc in Manipur on December 6 also urged the Prime Minister to visit Manipur, at the earliest convenience or hold talks with political parties from the state in New Delhi. The bloc, led by the Congress, submitted a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on December 6, requesting Modi to visit Manipur to resolve the 19-month-long ethnic conflict. Meanwhile, around 20 civil society organisations and student bodies from Imphal Valley have announced plans to hold a rally in Delhi on December 22.